Integrated experience for applications within a mobile application

ABSTRACT

A system and method that supports an integrated user interface experience with third party hosted applications selected and installed by a user within a user-installed native application of a user communication device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application makes reference to, claims benefit of, andclaims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/707,305,filed Sep. 28, 2012, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference,in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to methods supporting accessto additional user selected functionality within an application on amobile device. More specifically, certain embodiments of the presentinvention relate to methods and systems that provide an integrated userinterface experience for applications selected by a user and accessedfrom within a user-installed native application residing on a mobilecommunication device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Web sites are typically assembled by creating a number of web pagescontaining still pictures, graphical elements, portions of text, motionvideo, audio materials. Executable scripts may be used both at the webclient and within the web site infrastructure, to perform variousfunctions. The functionality available to a user of a conventional website is typically defined by the developer(s) involved in the creationof the web site, and each user simply accesses the functionalityprovided when a given page is delivered to the user's web client andrendered for display. The same functionality is typically available toall users of a given web page of particular web site.

Users of mobile devices able to connect to the Internet may select andinstall applications or “apps” on their mobile devices. Suchapplications are generally in the form of what is referred to as “nativecode.” That is, each app is a software program or collection ofexecutable instructions designed for use on the particular hardware orwith the particular operating system of the mobile communication deviceof the user. The functionality of such apps is normally defined by theapp developer when the app is prepared for distribution through what isnormally referred to as an “app store.” Each user that selects andinstalls a particular app has the same set of functionality available tothem.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention asset forth in the remainder of the present application with reference tothe drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and/or method that provides an integrated user interfaceexperience for non-native applications selected by a user and accessedfrom within a user-installed native application on a mobilecommunication device, substantially as shown in and/or described inconnection with at least one of the figures, as set forth morecompletely in the claims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the presentinvention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, willbe more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system on which arepresentative embodiment of the present invention may be practiced.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an exemplary application registrationscreen, in accordance with a representative embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary sequence of messagescommunicated following user selection of a hosted app within a nativeapplication using the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with arepresentative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example architecture of functional elements thatsupport installation and access to applications within a mobileapplication on a communication device, in accordance with arepresentative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of operating asystem such as, for example, the e-commerce platform of FIG. 1, whichsupports installation of a native application on a user communicationdevice such as, for example, the communication devices of FIG. 1, inaccordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method ofoperating a system such as, for example, the e-commerce platform of FIG.1, that supports developer registration and user installation ofapplications within a native application on a user communication device,in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of operating auser communication device such as, for example, the communicationdevices of FIG. 1, that supports user installation of hostedapplications or “hosted apps” within a user installed nativeapplication, in accordance with a representative embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a user communication device displaying anexemplary screen image of a native application showing UI elementsrepresenting two hosted apps, in accordance with a representativeembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a user communication device showingexemplary subdivisions of a screen of a communication device, inaccordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of a user communication device showing UIelements of a store information screen, in accordance with arepresentative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a user communication device thatmay correspond, for example, to electronic devices shown in FIG. 1, inaccordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the invention relate to systems and methods supporting accessto additional user selected functionality within an application on auser device. More specifically, certain embodiments of the presentinvention relate to methods and systems that provide an integrated userinterface experience for non-native applications selected by a user andaccessed from within a user-installed native application on a usercommunication device.

A representative embodiment of the present invention may be used inconjunction with any computer system that supports serving of web pagesto user clients such as, for example, a web browser like InternetExplorer® from Microsoft Corporation, Google Chrome®, Safari® from AppleInc., or Mozilla Firefox® and the user installation of applications or“apps” upon user communication devices such as, for example, the AppleiPhone™, those based upon the Android Operating System (OS), or userdevices employing any other operating system that supports theinstallation of native applications or “apps”. Aspects of arepresentative embodiment of the present invention may be employed on asingle computer system or may be distributed between or among aplurality of computer systems, which may be interchangeably referred toherein as a web site, a social commerce platform, an e-commerceplatform, or an e-commerce web site. Such a platform may be used tosupport user social interaction and commerce via the Internet.

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/700,754, entitled“APPLICATIONS ON TOP OF AN E-COMMERCE SITE,” filed Sep. 13, 2012, whichis hereby incorporated herein in its entirety, describes representativeembodiments of inventions that enable the creation of applicationswithin an e-commerce web site, and that enable those other than theoperator/sponsor of the web site (e.g., third party developers) toenrich and enhance the user experience of the web site and to provideadditional services, features and capabilities than are provided by thecore web site technology. Such representative embodiments enabledistributed and/or crowd-sourced development (e.g., by third-partydevelopers) of a web site, to inject content and capabilities into theweb site. For example, various embodiments of the inventions describedin U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/700,754 enable athird-party to add pages inside of a web site, to display user-interfaceelements (“UI elements”) such as, for example, user selectable/clickable“buttons,” and links, and to display banners and text in pages that showdetails for products.

Representative embodiments of the present invention enable third-partiesto provide various functionality in the form of non-native or “hosted”applications installable by a user within a previously installedapplication native to the user communication device. The term “nativeapplication” may be used herein to refer to software applications orsoftware programs that provide particular functionality for a user of anelectronic device, and that provide that functionality usinginstructions directly executable by one or more processors of theelectronic device. A representative embodiment of the present inventionenables third-parties to innovate by providing users with a variety ofwhat are referred to herein as “hosted applications” that may beprepared by independent 3^(rd) party developers and simply installed bya user within an existing, native application on a user communicationdevice. This enables the sponsors and developers of such applications tomore easily and quickly explore and test their ideas and innovations inthe environment of real-life user activity. In many instances, thedevelopment and deployment of native applications for consumercommunication devices such as, for example, the iPhone from Apple Inc.,becomes a lengthy effort complicated and delayed by testing andcertification required by the operator of the means by which the nativeapplications are distributed (e.g., an “App Store”). A representativeembodiment of the preset invention enables one to experiment and explorevarious additional functionality provided by a variety of developers ina more flexible and rapid fashion, by simply updating/modifying anapplication whose functionality may reside primarily on a server removedfrom the user communication device, and which is not subject to testingor certification by another organization.

It should be noted that although the following discussion may makefrequent mention of the use of representative embodiments of the presentinvention with regard to web sites and applications related toactivities surrounding e-commerce, the innovative concepts describedherein are not necessarily specifically limited in that regard, and maybe applied to web sites and applications of all types, and used for avariety of purposes, without departing from the scope of the inventiveconcepts revealed here.

A representative embodiment of the present invention includes a uniqueplatform that enables the user to install additional functionalitywithin an existing user-installed, native application on a usercommunication device, and enables the user to access the newly installedapplications without the need to download or install a new version ofthe existing native application. The functionality installed within thenative application may be referred to herein as a “hosted app,” “hostedapplication,” or “app.”

A representative embodiment of the present invention providesapplication developers the opportunity and tools to develop applicationsthat are user installable within, for example, an existing,user-installed, native application in a user device. Applicationprogramming interfaces (APIs) enable an application hosted by a nativeapplication on the user device to interface with the user device withoutthe development of code native to the user device, and enablesapplications to include text, “buttons,” and graphics within strategicareas of the user interface of the user device such as, in the exampleof an e-commerce application, in “Product Pages,” “Store Locators,” andother functional areas of the native application.

A representative embodiment of the present invention may be seen inmethods of operating a user communication device and a communicationsystem that enables users to customize the functionality of thecommunication device through the installation of one or moreapplications within an existing native application previously installedby the user. The users of the communication device may be, for example,customers of a business that operates or sponsors operation of ane-commerce platform, and the newly installed application may, forexample, enable a user to more easily or effectively access variousactivities, events, or functions that may be hosted on the e-commerceplatform. Some users of the e-commerce platform may be referred toherein as customer members. Such operator or sponsor of such a systemmay operate a loyalty program comprising such customer members.

The terms “customer,” “consumer,” and “user” are understood herein torefer to those that may act as an “end-user” of a web site, a mobileapplication or “app”, or a mobile device, in contrast to those that maybe considered to be developers, administrators, operators, and/orsponsors of a web site, a mobile application or “app”, or a mobiledevice that an “end-user” may employ in order to engage in variousactivities including, by way of example and not limitation, e-commerce,social networking, web searching, and general web access and mobiledevice use.

A representative embodiment of the present invention permits a user of acommunication device to customize an application on a communicationdevice to include functionality specifically selected by the user, orthat selected by the operator or sponsor of a system such as, forexample, a web-based e-commerce platform. Such included functionalitymay, in an example of a web-based e-commerce application, enable a userto perform actions that the user/operator/sponsor wishes to be availablewhen the user accesses the web-based e-commerce platform using a nativeapplication or browser on a user communication device, or a user client(e.g., a browser) on a laptop or desktop personal computer, for example.It should be noted that a representative embodiment of the presentinvention permits the applications or functionality installed on aparticular communication device by one user to be the same or differentthan that installed on another communication device by a different user.

The following discussion of various aspects of representativeembodiments of the present invention uses an example of the applicationof those inventive aspects in terms of features of an e-commerce website. It should be noted that this is for the purpose of illustration toaid understanding, and that the examples do not necessarily representspecific limitations of the present invention, unless recited by theclaims.

It should also be noted that, as utilized herein, the term “exemplary”means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration.Also, as utilized herein, the term “e.g.” introduces a list of one ormore non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system 100 on which arepresentative embodiment of the present invention may be practiced. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, the system 100 includes an e-commerce platform150 comprising one or more web servers 154, one or more database servers156, and one or more application servers 152. The elements of thee-commerce platform 150 may be interconnected, and may singly or as agroup be connected to Internet 105 via communication link 107, which mayemploy any suitable combination of wired or wireless data communicationlinks. FIG. 1 also includes personal computers (PCs) 110, 115, which areconnected to the Internet 105 by communications links 108, 109,respectively, which may be any suitable combination of wired or wirelessdata communication links. PCs 110, 115 may be any of, for example, adesktop computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a netbookcomputer, a tablet computer, or any other electronic device havingcapabilities suitable for accessing the Internet 105 from, for example,a home, a small business, or any private or public area having suitablesupport for communications links 108, 109.

In addition, FIG. 1 illustrates a user communication device 125 that maycomprise, for example, a tablet computer, smart phone, or other handheldelectronic device capable of communicating with the e-commerce platform150 via a wireless network 120, a communication link 127, and theInternet 105. The communication device 125 of FIG. 1 may includesuitable software applications, hardware, and logic to permit thecommunication device 125 to display received web pages and other formsof digital information on a display of the communication device 125, andsuitable user interface (UI) elements to permit a user to interact withthe e-commerce platform 150 using tactual, speech, and other forms ofinput. The communication device 125 may be capable of having nativeapplications installed on the communication device from repositoriesaccessible as “app stores,” for example. The wireless network 120 maysupport communication of digital information using any suitable wirelessaccess technology including, for example, any combination ofshort-range, long range, Wi-Fi, cellular, personal communication system(PCS), Bluetooth, Near Field communication (NFC), to name only a fewpossible air interface technologies.

FIG. 1 also includes a portable telephone 130 that may be capable ofcommunicating over one or more of a cellular, PCS, Wi-Fi, or otherwireless communication network, and may have more limited yet sufficientfunctionality to interact with the e-commerce platform 150 than thatavailable from the PCs 110, 115 and the communication device 125.

In addition, FIG. 1 illustrates a kiosk device 135, which may permitusers in retail and public venues to access the e-commerce platform 150.The kiosk device 135 may be designed for indoor or outdoor use, and maybe linked to the e-commerce platform 150 via a communication link 137and Internet 105, as shown, or may communicate directly with thee-commerce platform 150 using any other suitable wired or wirelessmeans. The kiosk 135 may have functionality that is equivalent, greaterthan, or less than the personal computers 110, 115, the communicationsdevice 125, and the cellular telephone 130.

The illustration of FIG. 1 also shows a retail establishment 160 thatmay, for example, be a “brick-and-mortar” business associated with theoperator or sponsor of the e-commerce platform 150. The retailestablishment 160 may include a kiosk 164 that may support access to thee-commerce platform 150 from the retail establishment 160, for thoseusers that are located within the retail establishment 160. Theillustration of FIG. 1 also includes a communication device 162 that maybelong to, or be loaned to a customer of the retail establishment 160,permitting the customer to, for example, electronically accessinformation about products and/or services available at the retailestablishment 160, at other business locations of the operator of theretail establishment 160, or at other businesses operated by, forexample, the operator, or businesses that partner with the operator ofthe e-commerce platform 150. Communication devices within the retailbusiness 160 such as, for example, the communication device 162 and thekiosk 164 may communicate with the e-commerce platform 150 via theInternet 105 and the communication link 167, which may be, for example,any suitable combination of wired and/or wireless communicationtechnologies.

In addition, the system 100 of FIG. 1 includes an application/web server170 that may, for example, be operated by a third-party provider ofapplications selectable by users of the e-commerce platform 150, andthat may be arranged to interact with elements of the e-commerceplatform 150, as described more fully below. In a representativeembodiment of the present invention, a computer system such as theapplication/web server 170 may perform most or all of the actions neededto provide the functionality of the applications selected by theend-user and those added to the native application resident on thecommunication device of the user.

In accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention,the elements of a system such as the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1,for example, may include the functionality in a software applicationthat enables user membership in a loyalty program of a business operatoror sponsor of the e-commerce platform 150, and the engagement of usersin various events and the activities. The e-commerce platform 150 mayinclude a software platform which tracks social interactions of users,and may track the activities of each member of the loyalty program. Thetracking capabilities may include a flexible interaction trackingframework that supports multiple social interactions of the members. Inaddition, the software application may support interfacing a variety ofuser communication devices including, for example, tablet, desktop,notebook, notepad, and network computers, cellular telephone and smartphones, public and private kiosks, and other suitable electronic usercommunication devices available at the present time or in the future.

The e-commerce platform 150 may also include suitable software,hardware, and/or suitable logic of an application that providesfunctionality supporting registration of user-selectable applicationswith a system such as, for example, the e-commerce platform 150, anduser selection of one or more such registered applications to beassociated with the user and to be installed on a communication deviceof the user. Such applications may, for example, be native applicationsexecutable on the communication device, and that interact with thehardware and/or operating system of the communication device. Inaddition, a system such as the e-commerce platform 150 may interact withthe application/web server 170 to enable user installation ofapplications within a native application present on the usercommunication device. Such user selected and installed applicationsaccessible within a native applications on the communication device ofthe user may, for example, engage functionality running on theapplication/web server 170. The functionality that supports theuser-installed applications within a native application may, forexample, interact with, access, and/or modify information such as, forexample, information about user(s) of the e-commerce platform 150 thatmay present on the e-commerce platform 150. For example, in arepresentative embodiment of the present invention, a user-selectedapplication installed within a native application of the usercommunication device, when accessed by a user, may activate applicationfunctionality on a third party system such as the application/web server170. The third party system may then communicate with the e-commerceplatform 150 to access various information including, by way of exampleand not limitation, information about that and/or other users, or otherinformation accessible via the e-commerce platform 150.

A representative embodiment of the present invention enables a user of acommunication device such as, for example, the communication devices125, 162, supported by a system such as, for example, the e-commerceplatform 150 of FIG. 1 to select one or more applications forinstallation within a user-installed native application present on thecommunication devices 125, 162.

The screen area of a communication device such as, for example, thecommunication devices 125, 162 of FIG. 1 may be divided into a number ofgeometric regions including, for example, a header portion and a canvasportion. In a representative embodiment of the present invention, theheader portion may be under control of the native application oroperating system of the communication device. In a representativeembodiment of the present invention, upon selection/clicking of, forexample, an icon or link activating a user installed application or“app” hosted by the native application, an area of the display screen ofthe user communication device that may be referred to herein as a“canvas” may be under the control of the selected app, the functionalityof which may reside primarily at the server supporting the app such as,for example, the application/web server 170 of FIG. 1, to permit theapplication to interact with the user of the communication device, andto perform actions involving a system such as the e-commerce system 150,for example.

Applications available for user selection may, for example, be preparedby any of a number of third-party developers in cooperation with theprovider of the hosting native application for the communication devices125, 162. In a representative embodiment of the present invention, theprovider of the hosting native application may be the operator/sponsorof the e-commerce platform 150 for example, and portions of thefunctionality of the such hosted applications or “apps” may beimplemented on a system such as, for example, the application/web server170 of FIG. 1. In a representative embodiment of the present invention,a system such as, for example, the application/web server 170 may becommunicatively linked to a system such as, for example, the e-commerceplatform 150 via the Internet 105 or, for example, a dedicatedcommunication path (not shown). Following development, such hostedapplications or “apps” may, for example, be made available by the appdeveloper to users of communication devices on which the native orhosting application is already installed, through a process that may bereferred to herein as “registration.”

The registration of a hosted application or “app” with a system such asthe e-commerce platform 150 may be made by a member of the organizationthat developed the hosted app, and may be a one-time occurrence for eachweb site on which the hosted app is to be made available. An example ofa web-based form for registration of a user selectable application isshown in FIG. 2, which is discussed in further detail, below. Asillustrated in FIG. 2, the registration of the hosted app with, forexample, the e-commerce platform 150 may involve the submission to thee-commerce platform 150 of a number of parameters including, forexample, a name and/or a “display name” for the hosted app, an icon orgraphical image for the application, strings of text to accompany iconsor graphical images, and a description of the hosted app, to name just afew parameters. Registration may also involve collection of informationabout the organization/company wishing to register the hosted app, whichmay include, among other things, details about the registeringorganization, information (e.g., an email address) to enable contactwith those responsible for the application, and a “base universalresource locator (URL)” that may identify the system or server fromwhich the hosted application is supported and/or from which content orweb pages for the hosted app are served, which may be a system such as,for example, the application/web server 170 of FIG. 1.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, additionalinformation that may be submitted as part of registration of auser-installable hosted application may include, for example, attributesfor what may be referred to herein as a “canvas.” The term “canvas” maybe used herein to refer to a portion of the screen of a mobile devicesuch as, for example, the communication devices 125, 162 upon whichinformation related to and under the control of the hosted app may bedisplayed. In a representative embodiment of the present invention, the“canvas” may be UI element that is opened or activated by the nativeapplication. The UI element that implements the portion of the screen(s)of the user communication device referred to herein as a “canvas” may becapable of displaying web page content, and may be activated upon userselection/clicking of a UI element linked to the server supporting thehosted app (e.g., the application/web server 170). In somerepresentative embodiments of the present invention, such functionalitymay be provided by, for example, a “web view” fed with, for example,hypertext markup language (HTML) content provided from the serversupporting the functionality of the hosted app (e.g., theweb/application server 170), and hence within the full control of thecode for the hosted app that runs on the server. A “canvas” may be usedby the hosted app to display most of the custom UI elements employed bythe hosted app to interact with the user. Registration of an applicationmay also include supplying information about various attributes such as,for example, caption(s) for one or more UI element(s) to be shown invarious screens of the native application in which the hosted app isinstalled, which may include a screen having what may be referred toherein as a “navigation menu.” The attributes submitted at registrationof a hosted app may also include a “base URL”, and size information forthe portion of the screen (e.g., PhoneGap WebView) of the usercommunication device that will be used to display the “canvas,”discussed above.

The “navigation menu” portion of one or more screens of the nativeapplication, introduced above, may be a designated geometric region ofone or more screens that is used, among other things, to display UIelements such as text/icons/graphical navigation links that representone or more hosted app(s) installed within a native application on thecommunication device. Such UI elements may be registered with a systemsuch as, for example, the e-commerce platform 150, so that theregistered UI elements representing hosted applications may be made toappear on various screens of the native application. The caption on eachof the UI elements may be static, and may be set when the UI element andits corresponding hosted app are registered with, for example, thee-commerce platform 150. At the time of registration of the hosted appwith the e-commerce platform 150, the registration may identify one ormore “links,” “buttons,” or other UI elements. In a representativeembodiment of the present invention, information about each such UIelement may be retrieved from the e-commerce platform 150 at start-up ofthe native application running on the user communication device. Inaccordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention,such retrieved information may cause the native application to add oneor more links, buttons, and/or other UI elements to various screens ofthe native application such as, for example, a screen containing the“navigation menu” portion mentioned above, or other suitable screens ofthe native application. In a representative embodiment of the presentinvention, the order or arrangement of the displayed UI elements withinvarious portion of the user interface of the native application may beautomatically determined by a system such as the e-commerce platform 150based on, for example, the usage patterns of the user, or may bedetermined by the native application.

When a canvas for a hosted app is opened, loaded, or refreshed in arepresentative embodiment of the present invention, a call may be madeto the “base URL” that was identified during registration of the hostedapp. A parameter value that identifies the user (e.g., a user ID) may beappended to the base URL, as context for “canvas code” that runs on thesystem of the developer of the application (e.g., the application/webserver 170 of FIG. 1). Any content returned from the call to the baseURL may then be presented to the user within, for example, the canvasportion (e.g., a PhoneGap Webview) of the screen of the usercommunication device (e.g., communication devices 125, 162 of FIG. 1).In a representative embodiment of the present invention, the call to thebase URL may not return a response to redirect, but instead may returnthe actual content to be displayed within the canvas portion of thescreen (that is, to be displayed in the WebView). Any ensuinginteraction of the user with the canvas may take place only within thecanvas, and the user may not be permitted to interact with thesurrounding screen. Any state or context information that may be neededat a later time related to the activities of the user may, for example,be saved on the system of the developer of the hosted app (e.g., theapplication/web server 170).

Upon successfully registering a hosted app with a system such as, forexample, the e-commerce platform 150, the organization responsible forthe hosted app (e.g., the application/web server 170) may be given an“app identifier (ID)” and other information used to uniquely andsecurely identify and authenticate the hosted app in its interactionswith a system such as the e-commerce system 150, for example, an“application secret key.” Additional details concerning these elementsare presented below.

The server residing at the base URL (e.g., the web/application server170 of FIG. 1) may have a number of different “integration points” withthe system with which the hosted app is to interact such as, forexample, the e-commerce platform 150. For example, in one representativeembodiment of the present invention, the base URL of the application/webserver 170 may be “http://myapp.com,” and at least one web page mayexist at “http://myapp.com/landing” that is shown as a “landing page”for the hosted app. The term “landing page” may be used herein to referto the first web page served when accessing a given URL such as, forexample, a web page that may be encountered by a user when a userselects to install a hosted app on their communication device.

Following registration of the hosted app with the system through whichthe app is to be made available, (e.g., the e-commerce platform 150),the availability of the hosted app may be made known tocurrent/potential users. This may involve adding one or more UI elements(e.g., text, links, buttons) for the hosted app to one or more web pagesincluding, for example, the web pages of an “app store” that may, forexample, appear on a web site supported by the e-commerce platform 150.The availability of the hosted app may also be made known through linksor URLs identified in conventional advertisements in printed media, andthrough the use of targeted electronic communication such as, forexample, email or a text messages containing a link to the landing pageof the base URL for the application.

A user interested in the hosted app may select/click on a published linkfor the app, which may then take the user to the landing page for thehosted app. In a representative embodiment of the present invention, thelanding page may be what is referred to herein as a “glass-wall page,”which may permit a user to view the contents of the landing page withoutbeing “logged in.” The user may not, however, be able to access objectson the landing page, if login is required. In a representativeembodiment of the present invention, a portion of the landing page forthe hosted app may be served from a web site supported by a system suchas the e-commerce platform 150, while other portion(s) or all of thelanding page may be served and under the full control of a system of theorganization responsible for development/support of the hostedapplication such as, for example, the operator/sponsor of theapplication/web server 170 of FIG. 1.

The hosted app selected for installation by the user may require login,which may be the case for those apps in which additional informationabout the user may be desired. If the user is not already logged in tothe e-commerce platform 150, the user may be directed to a “login page,”through which the user may login using, for example, a user identifierand a password. If, however, the user is unable to login because theuser is not already signed up with the operator or sponsor of thee-commerce platform 150, the user may be presented with a form to permitthe user to “join” or “sign up” to be a member (e.g., of a “loyaltyprogram”). Sign-up of the user may include displaying an “approvalscreen” for the application to the user. The “approval screen” may listbasic information about the application, and may request that the useragree to certain “Terms and Conditions,” to review a “Privacy Policy”for the application, and to approve installation of the hosted app ontheir behalf within the native application residing on the usercommunication device. Information identifying the hosted app beinginstalled, user responses to questions, and user agreement with variousconditions may be recorded in a “user profile.” The information gatheredmay be authenticated and/or stored by a system such as the e-commerceplatform 150 of FIG. 1 for example. After successfully completing thelogin process, or if login is not required, the user may then be takento a web page for the hosted app selected by the user.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, the process of“installation” of a hosted app may involve a system such as, forexample, the e-commerce platform 150 storing information about therequest to install the selected host app by the user. The installationof the hosted app may also involve the storage of a record of detailsabout the user that installed the hosted app, on the system supportingthe selected host app such as, for example, the application/web server170. Such details about the user may be accessed from the e-commerceplatform 150 by the application/web server 170 using an API provided bythe e-commerce platform 150.

Once the hosted application selected by the user has been successfullyinstalled on the user communication device, UI elements may be added ondesignated screens of the native application and/or aspects of screensof the native application may be modified to include UI elements suchas, for example, links, icons, and/or buttons representing and enablingaccess to the functionality of the hosted apps that have been installedfor the user of the communication device. In some representativeembodiments of the present invention, executable code such as, forexample, JavaScript® code related to the hosted app may also be madeaccessible to or inserted within the digital representation of thenative application. Information about the hosted apps currentlyinstalled for the user of the communication device may be stored andmaintained in memory of a system that interacts with the nativeapplication on the user communication device such as, for example, in adatabase on the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1. Later, as the usercommunication device interacts with the native application, the user maymake use of the UI elements for the hosted app that were added to theuser interface of the native application when the native application wasopened, to access the additional functionality available via the hostedapp(s).

In some representative embodiments of the present invention, the screenareas of the native application used to display UI elements related toand/or representative of the installed hosted app(s) may at times becollapsed, and may be opened or expanded by the user by, for example,user contact with a touch sensitive surface of the display of the usercommunication device. In some representative embodiments of the presentinvention, a system such as the e-commerce platform 150 may, forexample, unilaterally install one or more hosted app(s) and related UIelements within native applications of some user communication devices.In some representative embodiments of the present invention, the UIelement(s) related to and/or representative of the hosted apps installedby a system (e.g., the e-commerce platform 150) may, for example, bevisible on screens of the native application only until the user of thecommunication device closes the native application.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, a system suchas the application/web server 170 may register one or more particular UIelement(s) with a system such as, for example, the e-commerce platform150. The one or more particular UI element(s) may be used to represent acorresponding installed hosted application on screens of a nativeapplication on the user communication device. The UI elements mayinclude, by way of example and not limitation, images, links, icons,and/or “buttons” to be displayed on designated screens of an existingnative application previously installed by the user. Information aboutthe installed hosted apps, buttons, text, links, and other UI elementsregistered with and recorded by the system (e.g., e-commerce platform150) may be retrieved by the native application upon the userselecting/opening the native application on the communication device.For example, in accordance with a representative embodiment of thepresent invention, the opening of a native application installed on auser communication device (e.g., the communication devices 125, 162 ofFIG. 1) may cause the native application to establish communication witha system such as, for example, the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1,and to retrieve various types of information and parameters for one ormore hosted app(s), to permit the native application to display onvarious screens, UI elements and information corresponding to the one ormore hosted app(s), thereby enabling user access to the functionality ofthe installed hosted app(s). Once displayed on a screen of the nativeapplication, the UI elements for any hosted app(s) permit the user toaccess the functionality of the hosted app(s) from within the nativeapplication.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, theregistration of UI elements for a hosted application with the e-commerceplatform 150 may be a “one-time” operation performed by theapplication/web server 170 during the installation of the application.The registration of the UI element for a hosted app may be performedusing what may be referred to herein as a “backend API” of a system suchas the e-commerce platform 150, for example.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, a system suchas the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1 may enable user access to oneor more user-selected hosted apps, by arranging for the appearance ofone or more UI elements on designated screens of a native applicationresiding in a user communication device. In one representativeembodiment of the present invention, particular portions of variousscreens may be reserved for the display of the UI elements correspondingto each of one or more user-selected hosted apps.

When a user views a screen of a native application on which aselectable/clickable UI element (e.g., icon, text, button) for a hostedapp is displayed, the user may choose to select/click the UI element toperform the actions associated with the corresponding hosted app. Inaccordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention,selecting/clicking the UI element associated with a hosted app mayinitiate the execution of executable code on the user communicationdevice such as, for example, JavaScript® code that may, among otherthings, open a UI element on the screen of the communication device thatmay render content for the display to the user. While such a UI elementmay render information encoded in a form such as, by way of example andnot limitation, hypertext markup language (HTML), in the same manner asa web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer® from Microsoft Corporation,Google Chrome®, or Safari® from Apple Inc., the UI element may notprovide full functionality of a web browser. The opening of such a UIelement may cause a call to be made to a server for the hosted appcorresponding to the UI element selected/clicked by the user, and maycause activation of executable code supporting the actions of the hostedapp, on the server. The UI element rendering content to the screen ofthe communication device may then, in some cases, be under the fullcontrol of the code on the server corresponding to the hosted appassociated with the UI element selected by the user. As previouslydiscussed, the server that supports the functionality of the hosted appmay be identified by and accessed using a “base URL” submitted when thehosted app was registered by the application developer (e.g., theoperator of application/web server 170) with the system that interactswith the native application on the communication device in which the UIelement(s) for the hosted app will be made to appear, in this example,the e-commerce platform 150.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, the system thatinteracts with the native application, such as for example, thee-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1 may enable the system operated by thedeveloper of a hosted app (e.g., the application/web server 170) tocommunicate directly with the users of the hosted app, even when theusers are not actively using the canvas displayed by the hosted app.Other forms of communication with users is supported by a representativeembodiment of the present invention. For example, a representativeembodiment of the present invention may provide the needed functionalityin an API of the e-commerce platform 150 to permit publishing content toa “newsfeed” of a user on a social networking web site, thereby enablingsocial interaction between users. A “newsfeed” for a user may beembodied as an area of a web page for the user that permits other usersto add information that may be private, for only the owner of the webpage to view, or public, for viewing by all users having permission toview the web page. The “newsfeed” may act as a central component in thesocial interaction of users, whether related to e-commerce or not, andusers may receive in their “newsfeed” system generated offers andrecommendations, as well as social activities and information frompeople they follow.

In order to permit hosted apps to modify the experience of usersinterfacing with a user-installed native application, or interfacingwith a web site such as that supported by a system such as, for example,the e-commerce platform 150, the API provided by such a system providesfor the developer of a hosted app to communicate personalized messagesto users. Such messages may be private, and may, for example, includetargeted offers or personalized recommendations tailored to specificusers. Such offers may be displayed as private stories on the user'snewsfeed, which only the user may be able to view. Then, if the userchooses to, the user may actively share such private stories with theirfriends and followers.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, the tools of anAPI of a system such as the e-commerce platform 150, for example, enablethe executable code supporting a hosted application on the system of theapplication developer (e.g., the application/web server 170) to publishto the “newsfeed” of the user what may be referred to herein as a“story” by sending, to the e-commerce platform 150, an “applicationsecret key” that was provided to the developer system at the time ofregistration of the hosted app. In a representative embodiment of thepresent invention, the user to whom the “story” is directed may berequired to have the hosted app installed on their communication deviceat the time of API call. The API call from the code for the hosted appon, for example, the application/web server 170, to a system such as thee-commerce platform 150 may, for example, provide the application secretkey, a User ID for the user to whose “newsfeed” the “story” message isto be delivered, and specific message fields. The “story” message maythen be rendered on the newsfeed of the indentified user as a “systemstory,” which may be indicated in the newsfeed by the presence of, forexample, an icon associated with the hosted app, and the name of thehosted app sending the message, as the “story name.” Stories publishedto the newsfeed of a user in this manner may be acted upon by the userlike any other story, that is, they may be shared, they may be hidden,or they may allow the viewer to “see more . . . .”

In addition to the publication of private stories as described above, arepresentative embodiment of the present invention may enableapplications to post a public story on behalf of a user, if the hostedapp has been granted appropriate permission(s). The publication ofpublic stories may include instances where users choose to share theiractivities with their followers, or share achievements the user makeswith regard to the hosted application. In a representative embodiment ofthe present invention, such public stories may be published in a mannersimilar to status updates by the user.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an exemplary application registrationscreen 200, in accordance with a representative embodiment of thepresent invention. As discussed above, such a user interface screen maybe provided by the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1, to permit thedeveloper of an application to be hosted within a native application toregister the hosted app with a system such as, for example, thee-commerce platform 150. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the registration ofthe application with the e-commerce platform 150 may involve thesubmission to the e-commerce platform 150 of a number of parametersincluding, for example, a display name 205 for the hosted application,an icon or graphical image 222 for the hosted application, and adescription 235 of the hosted application. Registration may also involveinformation about the organization/company wishing to register thehosted application, which may include, among other things, details aboutthe registering organization including, but not limited to, information(e.g., an email address) for a contact email 210 for the personresponsible for the hosted application, and a base universal resourcelocator (base URL) 215. As described above, the base URL 215 may be usedto identify the server from which the system supporting the applicationserves its web pages, or that supports the functionality of hosted apps,which may be a system such as, for example, the application/web server170 of FIG. 1.

In a representative embodiment of the present invention, additionalinformation that may be submitted as part of registration of anapplication may include, for example, attributes for what was referredto herein as a “canvas” including, but not limited to, the canvas height220 and a minimum canvas width 225. As mentioned above, a canvas may beused by the hosted app to display most of the custom UI elementsemployed by the hosted app to interact with the user. Registration of anapp to be hosted by a native application may also include supplyinginformation about attributes such as, for example, caption(s) for any UIelement(s) to be shown in the screens of the native application, such asthose representing installed apps that may be displayed in a “navigationmenu,” as discussed above.

Registration of an app to be installed within a native application inaccordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention mayalso include, by way of illustration and not limitation, thespecification of a number of permissions 230 required by the hosted appto perform some of the functions of the hosted app. These may include,by way of example and not limitation, requesting user agreement that thehosted application may access their data at any time, that the hostedapplication may post messages on their behalf, and that the hosted appmay add badges to the user's profile. The permissions to be solicitedmay also include user agreement that the hosted app may send pushnotifications to the user, that the hosted app may “follow” certain webpages on behalf of the user, and that the hosted app may post messagesto the newsfeed of the user. Finally, the permissions requested mayinclude user agreement that the hosted app may access privateinteractions, and create catalogs of products on behalf of the user.

Registration of a hosted app may also involve entry of a textualdescription 235 to explain to the user the purpose of the hosted app. Inaddition, the registration may permit the entry of “terms of service”information 240, and “privacy policy” information 245, that may bepresented to the user and to which agreement may be required, beforeinstallation of the hosted app is allowed to proceed. Once allinformation for the hosted app has been entered on the app registrationscreen 200, the information can be submitted and the hosted appregistered with the e-commerce platform 150, for example, byselecting/clicking the “create” button 250.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary sequence of messagescommunicated following user selection of a hosted app within a nativeapplication using the system 100 of FIG. 1, in accordance with arepresentative embodiment of the present invention. The illustration ofFIG. 3 shows a representation of a native application 305, arepresentation of a mobile canvas 310 of a communication device such asthe communication devices 125, 162 of FIG. 1, a representation of anapplication/web server 315, and a platform API 320. The nativeapplication 305 may, for example, correspond to a user installed nativeapplication running on any of, for example, the user communicationdevice 125, the portable telephone 130, or the communication device 162of FIG. 1.

The mobile canvas 310 may correspond to, for example, a UI elementactivated by the native application 305 upon user selection of a hostedapp installed within the native application 305. In one representativeembodiment of the present invention, such a UI element may be aninstantiation of a PhoneGap WebView. The application/web server 315 ofFIG. 3 may correspond to, for example, the application/web server 170 ofFIG. 1, and the platform API 320 of FIG. 3 may, for example, correspondto the API described above with respect to FIG. 1 regarding the use ofan API by the application/web server 170 in interfacing with the website supported by the e-commerce platform 150.

The application-related messaging of FIG. 3 begins when a user of nativeapplication 305 selects/clicks a UI element that may appear on a screendisplayed by the native application 305. The UI element displayed by thenative application 305 and selected by the user may represent a hostedapplication that the user had previously installed either through thenative application 305, as described above, or via a web page served bya system such as the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1, as described inU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/700,754, filed Sep. 13, 2012,the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Theuser selection of the UI element representing the hosted app causes thenative application 305 to pass parameter information, represented inFIG. 3 as message 325, to a UI element (e.g., a PhoneGap WebView)supporting the mobile canvas 310, when the browser control supportingthe mobile canvas 310 is opened. Opening of the UI element supportingthe mobile canvas 310 causes a message 330 to be sent to theweb/application server 315 that supports the hosted app, which isidentified in message 330 of FIG. 3 by the “BaseURL” parameter. Themessage 330 passes the parameter information to the app server thatsupports the hosted app, identifying the user. The web/applicationserver 315 then communicates with a system such as, for example, thee-commerce system 150, using one or more API calls, as shown in message335, to retrieve information for the identified user.

Continuing with the example of FIG. 3, the e-commerce platform (e.g.,e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1) then responds to the API call fromthe application/web server 315 with details about the identified user.The details about the identified user are returned via the platform API320 in one or more messages, shown as message 340. In somerepresentative embodiments of the present invention, the details aboutthe user may be represented using JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). Theapplication/web server 315 may respond to the receipt of the informationin message 340 by sending message 345 to the UI element implementingmobile canvas 310, to populate the mobile canvas 310 for the selectedapplication with information for the hosted app relevant to theidentified user. In a representative embodiment of the presentinvention, the selected application on the application/web server (e.g.,the application/web server 170) may then have substantially completecontrol over the content displayed by the mobile canvas 310. Informationrepresented in FIG. 3 as message 350 represents calls to the nativeapplication 305 from the UI element supporting the mobile canvas 310that may result, for example, from user actions involving the capturingof images and/or video with a camera/imaging device of the usercommunication device. The message 350 may also represent messagingrelated to the opening of a native “product page” resident on the usercommunication device, and registering for notification of native eventssuch as, by way of example and not limitation, changes in physicallocation of the user communication device. In this manner, arepresentative embodiment of the present invention supports access, by ahosted application, to capabilities and functionality of a nativeapplication such as, for example, the native application 305, or otherresources of the user communication device. Such capabilities andfunctionality may include, but are not limited to, the hostedapplication directing navigation to pages and/or screens of the nativeapplication designated by the hosted application, and access by thehosted app to such things as, by way of example and not limitation,cameras and image capture devices, geo-location functionality, wirelessdata communication capabilities, user data and parameters, and otheraspects of the native application, the operating system, and theunderlying hardware, software, and circuitry of the user communicationdevice.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example architecture of functional elements thatsupport installation and access to hosted applications within a nativemobile application on a communication device, in accordance with arepresentative embodiment of the present invention. The architectureillustrated in FIG. 4 is designed to isolate hosted applications in amanner that prevents the hosted applications from performing maliciousactions against a hosting, native application. The architecture shown inFIG. 4 includes a user-installed, hosted (non-native code) application410. In some representative embodiments of the present invention, thehosted (non-native code) application 410 may interface with a mobile webAPIs layer 420 such as, by way of example and not limitation, aframework of code such as the jQuery Mobile framework. The jQuery Mobileframework is an HTML5 (HyperText Mark-up Language 5)-based unified userinterface system developed under the auspices of the JQuery Foundationto work across multiple popular mobile device platforms. Additionalinformation about JQuery Mobile may be found at“http://jquerymobile.com/.” The mobile web APIs layer 420 shown in FIG.4 includes a navigation manager 425, which allows hosted applications touse multiple pages in HTML by simulating native application navigationevents between web pages by changing the contents of the web pagesserved by a system such as, for example, the application/web server 170of FIG. 1. The navigation manager 425 permits hosted applications tochange the title that appears on the native application navigation bar,and add one or more buttons to the navigation bar of the nativeapplication. In this way, a representative embodiment of the presentinvention makes the hosted application feel more like a nativeapplication.

As shown in the example of FIG. 4, the mobile web APIs layer 420interfaces with the hosted (non-native) app 410, and with a web tonative bridge library layer 430. The web to native bridge library layer430, which may comprise what is referred to herein as the “PhoneGap”framework, interfaces with the native functionality of the usercommunication device. “PhoneGap” is the name given to the free and opensource framework originally developed by Nitobi, now distributed byAdobe Systems. PhoneGap may be used to provide access to the ApplicationProgramming Interface (API) of iPhone (iOS-based) and Android-baseddevices using HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript. InFIG. 4, the web to native bridge layer 430 includes web to native bridgelibrary plug-ins 435. Proprietary (“XYZ”) plug-ins 433 providefunctionality specifically related to the operating system used by theuser communication device. In combination with the web to native bridgelibrary, the proprietary plug-ins 433 allow a single hosted (non-native)app 410 to be installed and used on multiple hardware platforms (e.g.,Apple iPhone and Android-based devices).

The web to native bridge library layer 430 also includes App Securityfunctionality 437, which may be used to extend the logic of the web tonative bridge library 430 to provide security and control over what thehosted applications such as hosted application 410 are permitted to dowith respect to the native code 440, 450 of the user communicationdevice.

In addition to the architectural elements described above, theillustration of FIG. 4 shows the native Android functionality 440, whichrepresents the native capabilities available via the API provided by theoperating system (OS) code of those user communication devices thatemploy the Android OS. FIG. 4 also illustrates the native iOSfunctionality 450, which represents the native capabilities availablevia the API provided by the OS code of those user communication devicesthat use a version of the iOS operating system, developed by Apple Inc.It should be noted that the inventive concepts described herein are notnecessarily limited to use only with iOS and Android-based devices, andthat FIG. 4 is merely for purposes of illustration and not limitation.Further, it should be noted that the illustration of FIG. 4 does notnecessarily represent specific limitations of the present invention,unless recited by the claims.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of operating asystem such as, for example, the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1,which supports installation of a native application on a usercommunication device such as, for example, the communication devices125, 162 of FIG. 1, in accordance with a representative embodiment ofthe present invention. The following description makes reference to theelements of FIG. 1. The method of FIG. 5 begins at block 505, where asystem such as, for example, the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1receives a user request for installation of a native application on auser communication device such as, for example, the communicationdevices 125, 162 of FIG. 1. As previously discussed, the term “nativeapplication” may be used herein to refer to software applications orsoftware programs that provide particular functionality for a user, andthat provide that functionality using instructions directly executableby one or more processors of an electronic device. Next, at decisionblock 510, the method of FIG. 5 may determine whether the user hasagreed to the terms and conditions required for installation of thedesired native application. If the user has failed to agree to therequired terms and conditions, the method of FIG. 5 ends and the nativeapplication is not installed. If, however, the user agrees with theterms and conditions, the method then, at block 515, installs the nativeapplication on the user communication device. Details of theinstallation of native applications are beyond the scope of the presentapplication, and will not be discussed here. It should further be notedthat in some instances, such a check for agreement with certain termsand conditions, may not be made.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method ofoperating a system such as, for example, the e-commerce platform 150 ofFIG. 1 that supports the developer registration and user installation ofhosted applications within a native application on a user communicationdevice, in accordance with a representative embodiment of the presentinvention. The following description makes reference to the elements ofFIG. 1. The method begins at block 605 of FIG. 6A, where a system suchas, for example, the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1 receives adeveloper registration for an application to be hosted within a nativeapplication. As described above, such a registration may include, amongother things, information identifying a server supporting the hosted appsuch as, for example, a “BaseURL” parameter of a server like theapplication/web server 170 of FIG. 1, and information identifying theorganization responsible for development and support of the hosted app.

Following registration of the hosted app, the availability of the hostedapp may be made known to current/potential users of a native applicationsuch as, for example, via a link in a web page of availableapplications, or via a link in electronic communication sent by or for asystem such as the e-commerce platform 150, for example. At some laterpoint in time, a system performing the actions of FIG. 6A at block 615may receive an indication of user selection of a link representing ahosted app available for installation. Such a link may appear, forexample, in an “app store” or within electronic communication such as areceived email or text message, or a web page, for example. Next, atdecision block 620, the method of FIG. 6A may determine whether the useris logged in to a system such as, for example, the e-commerce platform150, with which the existing native application communicates andcooperates. If the user is not logged in, or is not a registered memberof, for example, a loyalty program of the operator or sponsor of thee-commerce system 150, the user may then, at block 625, be asked to login, or to join as a member.

Next, at block 630, the system (e.g., the e-commerce platform 150) maydirect the native application to a landing page on a server thatsupports the hosted app selected by the user such as, for example, theapplication/web server 170 of FIG. 1. The system may then, at block 635,communicate information about the user to the server that supports thehosted app. This may be done using elements of an API that may be usedto interface external systems such as the application/web server 170 ofFIG. 1 to the e-commerce platform 150. The method of FIG. 6A then, atblock 640, presents conditions for use of the hosted app to the user ofthe communication device. If the user fails to agree to the conditions,the method then ends, and installation of the hosted app is notperformed. If, however, the server (e.g., the application/web server170) determines that the user has agreed to the conditions forinstallation of the hosted app, the method continues on to block 650 ofFIG. 6B, where the server supporting the hosted app records informationabout the user performing the installation, and the hosted app beinginstalled. Next, at block 655, the server that supports the hosted appnotifies the system (e.g., the e-commerce platform 150) of theinstallation of the hosted app on the user communication device. Thiscommunication may use the API described above, for example. Finally, atblock 660, the system (e.g., the e-commerce platform 150) may update itsown records of the hosted apps installed within the native applicationon the user communication device.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of operating auser communication device such as, for example, the communicationdevices 125, 162 of FIG. 1, that supports the user installation ofhosted applications or “hosted apps” within a user installed nativeapplication, in accordance with a representative embodiment of thepresent invention. The following description makes reference to theelements of FIG. 1. The method of FIG. 7 begins at block 705, where auser opens an existing native application residing on a communicationdevice such as, for example, the communication devices 125, 162 ofFIG. 1. In a representative embodiment of the present invention, thenative application may, by way of example and not limitation, be onethat was installed by the user through an “app store” such as thatoperated by Apple Inc. or other organizations. Next, at block 710, thenative application, following user startup, may establish communicationwith a system such as, for example, the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG.1, and may retrieve information from the e-commerce platform 150. Theretrieved information may, among other things, identify apps to behosted within the existing native application of the communicationdevice of the user. The information may also identify UI elements andrelated parameters for the hosted app(s) that are to appear on variousscreens of the native application. The native application on the usercommunication device, upon receiving the information retrieved from thesystem (e.g., e-commerce platform 150), may dynamically add links,buttons, and other UI element to designated screens of the nativeapplication for one or more host app(s) previously installed, using theinformation retrieved from, for example, the e-commerce platform 150.

At some later point in time after user installation of a hostedapplication, the user of the communication device may select a UIelement displayed on a screen of the native application. The UI elementmay represent the hosted app installed on the communication device bythe user. In response to the selection of the UI element, a nativeapplication in accordance with a representative embodiment of thepresent invention may, as shown at block 725 of FIG. 7, open a UIelement such as, for example, a control able to display web page content(e.g., HTML), and make a call to the app server (e.g., theapplication/web server 170 of FIG. 1) that supports the executable codethat performs functionality of the user selected hosted app. The callcommunicates a number of parameters to the app server including, by wayof example and not limitation, information identifying the user thatinstalled the hosted app. In response to the call, a server inaccordance with the example method of FIG. 7 (e.g., the application/webserver 170) may, at block 730, execute code that takes control of the UIelement for displaying web page content, opened on the usercommunication device by the native application. The code executing onapp server then communicates content and user inputs to/from the UIelement, which presents a user interface for the app hosted within thenative application on communication device, permitting the user of thecommunication device to perform the functions provided by the hostedapp. The code executing on the server supporting the hosted app (e.g.,the application/web server 170) may then, at block 735, interact withthe system (e.g., the e-commerce server 150) via the aforementioned API,permitting the server supporting the hosted app to perform the actionsdefined for the hosted application, including those that affectinformation stored on and actions performed by the system (e.g., thee-commerce platform 150).

A representative embodiment of the present invention may provide anumber of “integration points” for use by a third-party applicationincluding, but not limited to, “platform integration hooks,” “canvases,”“application canvases,” or “app canvases,” and a “platform API.” Arepresentative embodiment of the present invention may include appcanvases that provide, for example, presence in a “navigation menu,” an“application (“app”) page,” a “landing page,” in user “login flow”, in auser “newsfeed,” in “product pages,” in “store locator pages,” inproduct “quick views,” on “tag pages,” and through the use of “nameindicators,” to name just a few examples.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a user communication device 800 displayingan exemplary screen image of a native application showing UI elementsrepresenting two hosted apps, in accordance with a representativeembodiment of the present invention. The screen image of FIG. 8 includesa header portion 810, that may be generated by the native application orby the operating software of the communication device 800, and an “Apps”portion 820 showing UI elements representing two hosted apps 823, 825installed by a user within the native application. The UI elements forthe hosted apps 823, 825 shown in the “Apps” portion 820 may bepopulated by the native (hosting) application upon its activation by theuser, using information retrieved by the native application from asystem such as, for example, the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG. 1,identifying the hosted applications installed by the user.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a user communication device 900 showingexemplary portions 910, 922, 924 of a screen of ae communication device,in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention.The screen image of FIG. 9 includes a header portion 910, that may beunder the control of the native application or the operating software ofthe communication device 900, a title bar 922 that identifies the activehosted app, and a canvas 924 that is opened upon user selection of thehosted app. The UI elements and information displayed on the canvas 924,and the app-related actions performed in response to user input may beunder the control of executable code at an app server such as, forexample, the application/web server 170 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of a user communication device 1000 showingUI elements of a store information screen, in accordance with arepresentative embodiment of the present invention. The screen image ofFIG. 10 includes a header portion 1010, which may be under the controlof a user installed native application or the operating software of thecommunication device 1000, a title bar 1022 that identifies the activehosted app, and a section title 1024. Beneath the section title 1024 areshown UI elements representing a hosted app 1026 that may, for example,be installed within the native application and be used by a user of thecommunication device 1000 to request assistance while shopping in aretail store, and UI elements representing a second hosted app 1028. TheUI elements and information representing the hosted apps 1026, 1028shown below the section title 1024 may be displayed by the nativeapplication using information about the hosted applications retrievedfrom a system such as, for example, the e-commerce platform 150 of FIG.1.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a user communication device 1100that may correspond, for example, to electronic devices shown in FIG. 1,in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention.The user communication device 1100 may correspond to electronic userdevices such as, by way of example and not limitation, a smart phone, atablet computer, a cellular phone, a media player, a handheld personalcomputer, a laptop, a notebook computer, a netbook computer, a desktopcomputer, a television, or any other suitable electronic device havingthe functionality discussed herein.

As shown in FIG. 11, the user communication device 1100 includes aprocessor 1110, an RF transceiver A 1102, an RF transceiver B 1103, awired interface 1104, a display device 1120, a user input device 1130,an audio interface 1140, and a memory 1150. The processor 1110 may be,for example, a suitable microprocessor or microcomputer havingsufficient computing power to control the personal electronic device1100, and is operably coupled to the RF transceiver A 1102, the RFtransceiver B 1103, and the wired interface 1104. The RF transceiver A1102 and RF transceiver B 1103 may comprise any necessary circuitry,logic, and software/firmware for wireless communication over any of, forexample, the cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (e.g., IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac),Zigbee, WiMAX, or any other wireless network known now or in the future.The wired interface 1104 may comprise any necessary circuitry, logic,and software/firmware for wired communication over any of, for example,an Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus, FireWire (IEEE 1394) or other wirednetworks known now or in the future.

The processor 1110 is also operably coupled to the memory 1150, and maybe used for non-transitory storage of executable program instructions,parameters, and data for any of the circuitry of the personal electronicdevice 1100. The display device 1120 is also operably coupled to theprocessor 1110, and may comprise, for example, one or more LED, OLED,LCD, or other form of visual display capable of presenting text orgraphics, and may comprise any circuitry, logic, or software/firmware tosupport, for example, a graphical user interface (GUI). The user inputdevice 1130 may comprise, for example, suitable switches, buttons, ortouch sensitive surfaces to enable user control and operation of thepersonal electronic device 1100, and may comprise any necessarycircuitry, logic, and software/firmware to allow it to perform thosefunctions. In a representative embodiment of the present invention, theuser input device 1130 may be a touch sensitive surface at the viewingside of the display device 1120, enabling a user to use the touchsensitive surface of the display device to enter user inputs and respondto displayed information. The audio interface 1140 comprise anynecessary circuitry, logic, and software to interface a microphone 1105and a speaker 1106 to the processor 1110.

Using a representative embodiment of the present invention, a user mayinstall the same hosted (non-native) application within nativeapplications on multiple communication devices based on differenthardware platforms and operating systems. Further, the hostedapplication installed by the user within a native application on theircommunication device(s) may also be installed as a customization to webpages accessed from a web site by the user using a conventional webbrowser running on a laptop, desktop, net book, or tablet personalcomputer. As previously mentioned, commonly owned U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/700,754, entitled “APPLICATIONS ON TOP OF ANE-COMMERCE SITE,” filed Sep. 13, 2012, and U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/024,318 filed Sep. 11, 2013, which are hereby incorporated hereinin their respective entireties, describe representative embodiments ofinventions that enable the creation of applications within an e-commerceweb site, and that enable those other than the operator/sponsor of theweb site (e.g., third party developers) to enrich and enhance the userexperience of the web site and to provide additional services, featuresand capabilities than are provided by the core web site technology.

Aspects of the present invention may be found in a method of operating auser communication device supporting installation of non-nativeapplications within a native application. Such a method may compriseinstalling a user-selected native application in memory of the usercommunication device, and communicating a user request to a firstcomputer system to add one or more non-native applications within thenative application. The method may also include, responsive to the user,initiating operation of the native application, where the nativeapplication may communicate with the first computer system over a publicnetwork to access information enabling operation of the one or morenon-native applications. The method may further comprise displaying oneor more user-selectable interface elements each representing acorresponding one of the one or more non-native applications and, uponuser selection of one of the one or more user interface elements,establishing a dedicated portion of the display for use by, andactivating the functionality of the corresponding non-native applicationat a corresponding one of the at least one second computer system. Themethod may also comprise relinquishing control over the dedicatedportion of the display to the activated functionality of the non-nativeapplication corresponding to the selected one of the one or more userinterface elements.

In various representative embodiments of the present invention, theuser-installed native application may comprise code directly executableby at least one processor of the user communication device, and the oneor more non-native applications may not comprise code directlyexecutable by the at least one processor of the user communicationdevice. The information enabling operation of the one or more non-nativeapplications may identify the one or more non-native applications andthe corresponding one of the at least one second computer system thatperforms the functionality of each of the one or more non-nativeapplications. The at least a second computer system may communicate withthe first computer system to access information about the user, and thefirst computer system may direct the native application to establishuser communication with the at least one second computer system inresponse to the request to add the one or more non-native applicationswithin the native application. Also, the user request to the firstcomputer system to add one or more non-native applications within thenative application may be conveyed through a web page served by thefirst computer system. Further, the non-native application may beenabled to one or both of access functionality of the native applicationand direct the native application to display a designated page or screenof the native application.

Additional aspects of the present invention may be seen in a systemcomprising at least one processor for communicative coupling to adisplay. In such a system, the at least one processor may be operable toat least perform the method described above.

Further aspects of the present invention may be observed in anon-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon aplurality of code sections, where each code section comprises aplurality of instructions executable by a processor to cause theprocessor to perform the actions of the method described above.

Although devices, methods, and systems according to the presentinvention may have been described in connection with a preferredembodiment, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form setforth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover suchalternative, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonablyincluded within the scope of the invention as defined by this disclosureand appended diagrams.

Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware,software, or a combination of hardware and software. The presentinvention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least onecomputer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elementsare spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind ofcomputer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methodsdescribed herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware andsoftware may be a general-purpose computer system with a computerprogram that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computersystem such that it carries out the methods described herein.

The present invention may also be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation ofthe methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer systemis able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the presentcontext means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of aset of instructions intended to cause a system having an informationprocessing capability to perform a particular function either directlyor after either or both of the following: a) conversion to anotherlanguage, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different materialform.

While the present invention has been described with reference to certainembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material tothe teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope.Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited tothe particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A method of operating a user communication device supportinginstallation of non-native applications within a native application, themethod comprising: installing a user-selected native application inmemory of the user communication device; communicating a user request toa first computer system to add one or more non-native applicationswithin the native application; responsive to the user, initiatingoperation of the native application, wherein the native applicationcommunicates with the first computer system over a public network toaccess information enabling activation of the one or more non-nativeapplications by the user; displaying one or more user-selectableinterface elements each representing a corresponding one of the one ormore non-native applications; upon user selection of one of the one ormore user interface elements, establishing a dedicated portion of thedisplay for use by functionality, of the corresponding non-nativeapplication, that is performed at a corresponding one of at least onesecond computer system, and activating the functionality; andrelinquishing control over the dedicated portion of the display to theactivated functionality of the non-native application corresponding tothe selected one of the one or more user interface elements. 2-24.(canceled)